lxml - SubElement dump root doesn't dump like Element dump does

[Sayth Renshaw]

On Monday, 20 June 2016 16:19:31 UTC+10, Peter Otten  wrote:
> Sayth Renshaw wrote:
> 
> > Afternoon
> > 
> > Wondering has anyone much experience with lxml specifically objectify?
> > 
> > When I pick up a file with lxml and use objectify dumping root works as
> > expected actually better its quite nice. This is how i do it, file
> > handling part left out for brevity.
> > 
> > def getsMeet(file_list):
> >     for filename in sorted(file_list):
> >         filename=my_dir + filename
> >         yield filename
> > 
> > def parseXML():
> >     """
> >     """
> >     for file in getsMeet(file_list):
> >         with open(file) as f:
> >             xml = f.read()
> > 
> >             root = objectify.fromstring(xml)
> >             print(root.tag)
> >             print(objectify.dump(root))
> >             race = objectify.SubElement(root,"race")
> >             print(objectify.dump(race))
> > 
> > 
> > parseXML()
> > 
> > So the first call to print(objectify.dump(root)) gives as a sample.
> > 
> > meeting = None [ObjectifiedElement]
> >   * id = '42977'
> >   * barriertrial = '0'
> >   * venue = 'Rosehill Gardens'
> >   * date = '2016-05-21T00:00:00'
> >   * gearchanges = '-1'
> >   * stewardsreport = '-1'
> >   * gearlist = '-1'
> >   * racebook = '0'
> >   * postracestewards = '0'
> >   * meetingtype = 'TAB'
> >   * rail = 'Timing - Electronic : Rail - +6m'
> >   * weather = 'Fine      '
> >   * trackcondition = 'Good 3    '
> >   * nomsdeadline = '2016-05-16T11:00:00'
> >   * weightsdeadline = '2016-05-17T16:00:00'
> >   * acceptdeadline = '2016-05-18T09:00:00'
> >   * jockeydeadline = '2016-05-18T12:00:00'
> >     club = '' [StringElement]
> >       * abbrevname = 'Australian Turf Club'
> >       * code = '56398'
> >       * associationclass = '1'
> >       * website = 'http://'
> >     race = None [ObjectifiedElement]
> >       * id = '215411'
> >       * number = '1'
> >       * nomnumber = '9'
> > 
> > Then I am confused when I want to repeat this but only for the subelement
> > race I get a return but not as expected.
> > 
> > This is my return
> > race = '' [StringElement]
> > 
> > so why do i not get all the elements of race as I do when i dump the root?
> 
> Because race is a new SubElement that you just created:
> 
> >>> help(lxml.objectify.SubElement)
> Help on built-in function SubElement in module lxml.etree:
> 
> SubElement(...)
>     SubElement(_parent, _tag, attrib=None, nsmap=None, **_extra)
>     
>     Subelement factory.  This function creates an element instance, and
>     appends it to an existing element.
> 
> >>>
> 
> Existing subelements can be accessed as attributes. I'd say that's the very 
> point of the lxml.objectify library ;)
> 
> For example:
> 
> >>> root = 
> lxml.objectify.fromstring("<a><b><c>one</c><d>two</d></b><b>second 
> b</b></a>")
> >>> print(lxml.objectify.dump(root.b))
> b = None [ObjectifiedElement]
>     c = 'one' [StringElement]
>     d = 'two' [StringElement]
> >>> print(lxml.objectify.dump(root.b[0]))
> b = None [ObjectifiedElement]
>     c = 'one' [StringElement]
>     d = 'two' [StringElement]
> >>> print(lxml.objectify.dump(root.b[1]))
> b = 'second b' [StringElement]
> 

this actually seems quite powerful, I don't fully understand it yet though it seems I have just got an XML doc as a list of dicts so I can just slice and select as normal python.

thanks for helping

Sayth